Top roll positioning and tensioning mechanism for textile drafting apparatus



N IONI APPA R OP ROLL POSITION FOR TEXTIL 2,881,481 NG MECHANISM RATUS B. NEWTO I S April 14, 19%9 NG AND TEN E DRAFTING 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 18, 1955 INVENTOR.

Ross 8. NEWTON.

44 WW I O ATTY.

Filed Nov. 1a,. 1955 April 14, 1959 R. B. NEWTO 2,831,481

TOP R .PDSITIONING AND TENSI G MECHANISM- TEXTILE DRAF TING AP ATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ROSS a, NEWTON Apr]! 14, 1959 R. B. NEWTON 2,881,481

TOP ROLL POSITIONING AND TENSIONING MECHANISM FOR- TEXTILE DRAFTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.8

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INVENTOR. ROSS B, NEWTON.

United States Patent TOP ROLL POSITIONING AND TENSIONING MECHANISM FOR TEXTILE DRAFTING AP- PARATUS Ross B. Newton, Whitinsville, Mass., assignor to Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 18, 1955, Serial No. 547,616 3 Claims. (Cl. 19-135) This invention relates to machines such as spinning and roving frames as commonly used for drafting slivers or rovings of textile fibers in the production of yarn. The sliver or roving in such a machine is drafted between successive pairs of top and bottom drafting rolls, and coacting aprons may be associated with certain rolls. The bottom rolls are continuously rotated, and the top front and back rolls are rotated by frictional contact with associated bottom rolls. The middle top roll may be driven by the bottom middle roll or by the friction of interposed aprons.

It is necessary to firmly tension the top rolls by applying a predetermined pressure to the rolls when in operative positions. Improved arrangements are provided to permit removal of one or more of the top rolls from operative position to facilitate cleaning or replacement, and for at the same time preserving the top roll tensions or pressure unchanged.

It is the general object of my invention to improve textile drafting apparatus along the lines above indicated and to provide simplified means for attaining these defined results with exceptional safety and reliability. I further provide improved means for supporting the top roll assembly in either raised or lowered position.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of parts of a spinning frame and shows the top roll unit in its operating position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the top roll unit in a raised and inoperative position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the unit, partly in section;

Fig. 4 is a sectional front elevation, taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional front elevation, taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the top roll supports or bearings;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional elevation, taken along the line 7--7 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line 88 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a bearing plate used in the top roll supports; and

Fig. 10 is a detail partial front elevation of a locking post.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown a pair of front rolls 10 and 11, middle rolls 14 and 15, and back rolls 16 and 17.

The bottom front roll 10 is rotated in bearings in a series of fixed stands or brackets 20 mounted on a frame F. The middle bottom roll 14 and the back bottom roll 16 are mounted in bearing blocks 22 and 24 which may be adjustably and separately secured on the stand 20 by clamping screws 25 extending through slots 26.

A rod 28 is fixed in position at the rear of the blocks "ice 2 24 and provides pivotal support for the top roll assembly to be described. The bottom rolls 10, 14 and 16 are continuously rotated in the usual manner.

The top rolls 11, 15 and 17 are mounted to rotate freely in bearing members 30, 31 and 32 which are assembled in a top casing 35.

The casing 35 is U-shaped in cross section as shown in Fig. 4, and the lower edges of the side portions 35a and 35b of the casing are beveled to engage undercut projections 37 formed at the lower ends of the bearing members 30, 31 and 32.

Screws 38 may be tightened to seat each bearing member 30, 31 or 32 firmly in the casing 35 and in a selected longitudinal position. The bearing members, when thus seated, greatly stiffen and strengthen the casing 35 which is commonly of sheet metal.

It will be understood that the bearing members 30, 31 and 32 are adjusted in spaced relations corresponding to the spacing of the bottom rolls 10, 14 and 16.

Each top roll, as 11 shown in Fig. 4, comprises a normally stationary tubular member 40 having a spherical center portion 41. Each roll 11 is provided with two suitably cushioned shells or cots 42, and the two shells are freely rotatable with an arbor 43 (Fig. 3) in the tubular member 40.

Each supporting or hearing member, as 30, is provided with side slots 44 at its lower end to receive the tubular member 40, and each supporting member also has a circular central recess 45 (Fig. 8) to receive the spherical center portion 41 of the member 40.

When the top roll, as 11, is assembled in its supporting member, as 30, the roll is held in the desired lateral spacing and axial alignment by the slots 44 and recess 45, but is permitted to adjust itself in a vertical plane about the center of the spherical portion 41.

The top roll may be detachably secured in the lower end of its supporting member by a spring-pressed stud 47 (Fig. 3), and is normally pressed downward by a coil spring 50 mounted in the upper part of the recess 45 and engaging a plate 51 having end portions 52 slidable in front and back slots or openings 53 (Figs. 6 and 8) in the member 30. The plate 51 rests on the spherical center portion 41 of the member 40 and normally holds the member from rotation.

The pressure of the top front roll 11 on the bottom front roll 10 is determined by the spring 50 (Fig. 3), which may be easily removed and shortened or lengthened by withdrawing the locking stud 47 and removing the top roll 11 and plate 51 from the support 30.

The support 32 for the upper back roll 17 is of the same construction as the support 30, and a locking stud 47a is provided to hold the back top roll from displacement. The support 31 for the middle top roll 15 is also similar to the support 30, except that the locking stud 47 is commonly omitted and that the lower end portions 50 of the support 31 are beveled as indicated at 54 to facilitate admission of the intermediate top roll 15 which commonly remains in working position when the casing 35 is released.

Aprons 55 and 56 (Fig. l) are commonly provided for the intermediate rolls 14 and 15, and the usual cradles (not shown) are provided for guiding the aprons at their front portions and for holding the upper rolls 15 in operative position when the casing 35 is lifted. These cradles are of usual construction and in themselves form no part of the present invention.

The supports 32 for the back top rolls 17 are extended rearwardly as indicated at 60 (Fig. 2) and are provided with inclined slots 61 which receive a cross-pin 62 fixed in a slotted stand 64 which is secured to the fixed rod 28 by a set-screw 66.

3 The stand 64 is provided with a ledge or shoulder 67 between the, spaced side portions thereof, and the rear-,

wardly extending portion 60 of the stand 32 is provided with a coacting shoulder 68. When the casing 35 is swung upward as indicated in Fig. 2, the shoulder 68 is:

engaged by the fixed shoulder 67, and the associated top rolls are thus held in raised position.

When it i desired to lower the casing, the casing is pulled upward enough so that the shoulders 67 and 68 will clear each other, such upward movement being permitted by the slot 61. The casing 35 may then be swung downward to operative position.

Provision for locking the casing 35 in lowered or operative position comprises a hook member 70 (Fig. 3) pivoted at 71 in the casing 35 and having a locking recess 72 and a handle 73. A fixed locking post 80 (Fig. 1) is adjustably mounted in a bracket 82 secured to the frame F by a bolt or screw 83.

At its upper end, the post 80 is provided with a slot 84 (Fig. to receive the lower end portion 85 of the locking lever 70. The post 80 may be so adjusted that the top rolls will be held firmly against the bottom rolls when the casing 35 is swung downward and depressed sufiiciently so that the lever portion 85 will enter the slot 84.

When it is desired to raise the casing 35 and top rolls 11 and 17, the casing is first pushed downward enough to free the lever 70 which may then be swung rearward to clear the locking post 80.

A cover 90 is pivoted to the casing 35 at 91 and is slotted to clear the locking lever handle portion 73. This cover is designed to keep the top of the casing free of lint and to exclude dirt from the bearings.

I have thus provided a simple but firm and rigid construction by which a plurality of top rolls may be supported in a drafting mechanism, by which they may be conveniently moved between operative and inoperative positions, and by which they may be locked in operative or running position.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a top roll positioning and tensioning mechanism, a support for a top roll bearing having a cylindrical recess open at its lower end and having longitudinal slots at opposite sides of said recess which are also open downwardly, a top roll bearing unit comprising a normally stationary tubular member with a spherical central enlargement fitting said recess, thereby defining the axial position of said tubular member, and means to apply pressure to the top of said spherical enlargement, and said pressure means comprising a compressed coil spring in said cylindrical recess and a plate interposed between the lower end of said spring and said spherical enlargement, and said plate having lugs at each side and said bearing support having slots to receive said lugs and said slots being closed at their lower ends.

2. In a top roll positioning and tensioning mechanism, a roll stand, a shaft mounted in fixed position in said stand, a top roll assembly pivoted on said shaft, a collar fixed on said shaft and having an outwardly projecting lug, a member in said roll assembly having a lug coacting with said first lug to hold said assembly in raised position, and said member and collar having a pivotal pin-and-slot connection by which the assembly may be manually raised to clear said lugs from holding relation.

3. The combination in top roll positioning and tensioning mechanism as set forth in claim 2, in which the slot is in the roll assembly and is upwardly and forwardly inclined.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,508,964 Naegeli May 23, 1950 2,644,988 Haythornthwaite et al. July 14, 1953 2,674,012 Noelting Apr. 6, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,824 Great Britain of 1894 711,425 Great Britain June 30, 1954 1,082,681 France June 23, 1954 

